Off to a great start

Yesterday I got my 'art' on!

Several of the classes I have signed up for began.  You may remember I wrote about some of them here.

I decided I would use one of my Dylusions Journals (yes I have two!) to work in and firstly did my January calendar page.

You can find out about the Calendar pages from Kate Crane.

Then I moved on to Lifebook 2013.  The first task was to invent a Fairy Art Mother.  So hurdle number 1 as I don't do faces! Or people!   I don't draw them them, collage them, do anything with them in my art work. I like looking at other people's art with faces in but I just don't do it.  So after a lot of mumbling and muttering and some good advice from a Facebook friend I did a Fairy Art Butterfly!

And the second part of the lesson was to celebrate our blessings and to set some goals.  However if you get the opportunity to look at Tam's original for the lesson or any of the students work you will find that mine is nothing like it.  

Where do I get this non-conforming streak from?   Was it because I was a Methodist when I was younger? lol.

Anyway I did do the required watercolour and salt technique. Oh, except I used Dylusions Spray Inks instead of watercolour paints.  I tried a sample piece first which is what I punched the heart balloons from.

I have my blessings with me in the hot air balloon and my goals are on my heart balloons.  We were asked to include a photo of ourselves but, you know!  Anyway imagine I'm in the hot air balloon and it's so far away you can't actually distinguish that I'm there!

And on to Journal Candy.  And guess what.  Yes, that's right - faces.  Rachelle assures me that it won't matter!  Just as well.  Anyway here's as far as I've got with the first exercise.  I used my One Little Word for 2013 on these pages.

We only had to get as far as the pencil drawing on the paint and gesso background.

Rachelle's My Candy class starts tomorrow so there's still time to sign up.  I'm really looking forward to that.

And lastly One Little Word started with Ali Edwards on Big Picture Classes.  I haven't decided what format I'm going to use for that.  It is mostly a scrapbooking class but I could art journal it.  I've got all month to do it in so we'll see.

Thanks for popping by.  See you soon.

Bernice

Being Present in 2013

If you read yesterday's post you will know that I didn't manage to achieve the goals I set myself partly because I set far too many.

So here are my 2013 goals - there's half the amount!

Soul and spirit:   friends, faith, fellowship, community

1.    Respond to comments on my blog

2.    Meet people for coffee occasionally

3.    Speak to people rather than just text or e-mail

4.    Spend time with God

Body:  fitness, diet, sleep

1.    Attend Rosemary Conley weekly

2.    Exercise three times a week

3.    Go for a long walk each week

Mind:   art, reading, photography

Art

Take part in and finish

1.    Journal Candy (January)

2.    Lifebook 2013

3.    My Candy 2013

4.    21 secrets (April)

Reading

1.    Read a book each week

2.    Read the Bible every day

Photography

1.    Complete A Journey of Recognition

2.    Complete A Journey of Fascination  (10^th Feb – 9^th March)

Those of you who are really in to SMART goals will notice that quite a few of the list cannot be described as SMART.  They are not specific or measurable.  So perhaps I should describe them as desires for 2013.  Whether they are goals or desires I feel it's better to write them down so that I know what I am aiming for. 

What would you like to achieve in 2013?

Looking back at 2012

At the beginning of 2012 I set myself some goals.  I thought I should look back to see how I have got on. I set out goals in various areas of my life.

Soul and spirit:   friends, faith, fellowship, community

In this area I set myself 10 goals and I was successful in 3 of them.

Body:  fitness, diet, sleep

I set myself 6 goals here. I managed 1.5

Mind:   art, reading, Etsy, photography, blog   This area takes up most of my time.

Art

I set 7 goals and gave up on most of them for a variety of reasons.

Reading

Read a book each week  Some weeks I read three and some months I didn't read at all.  However I did download about 400 books onto my Kindle App.  Perhaps I should read them!

Photography

I set 3 goals - 2 of which went by the wayside in the first week of January!

Etsy

There were 4 goals for my Etsy shop.  I haven't given any time to it at all.  However I did make some journals and sell them at a Craft Fair.

2012 in focus

Looking back at the fact that I didn't achieve very many of my goals could be very depressing.  However I think one thing it proves is that I probably set too many goals and had signed up to things that really didn't suit me.  Or is that 2 things!?!

I took part in an online course called Ashes to Beauty at the beginning of the year and successfully completed it - although I have to admit I didn't actually finish it the way Nana Campana intended but I was pleased with what I found out about myself.   In addition I got to know quite a few lovely ladies including Anita Van Hal and Robin Norgren.  I already knew the lovely Carolyn Philips who I invited to join the journey with me.

As a result of meeting Anita and Robin, I have become part of Anita's Design Team and become the Art Journaling group coordinator on Anita's forum: Just Be Yourself. 

I received 4 hours of Life Coaching from Robin which enabled me to change my perspective on how I view myself and my work.  As a result I set up the blog: An Attitude of Gratitude and completed 30 days of gratitude prompts and a complete 30 days of a Gratitude Journal.  I'm pretty sure as well that prior to the coaching I would have become very depressed about my lack of completing the goals I set myself, so I have a great deal to thank Robin for. 

I also completed a 13 week series on my blog called Celebrating UK Artists.  If you haven't read the interviews yet you can find a link to them here.

I chose FOCUS as my One Little Word for 2012.  However I lost sight of it around the middle of the year along with the class I was doing with Ali Edwards on Big Picture Classes.

I’m going to try again for 2013 and I have chosen the word PRESENT.  I am going to look at being ‘present in the moment’ and the gifts that God has given me.  Come back in January to find out more.

Blog Button from Melanie at OnlyABreath

Prior to 2012 I rarely walked much more than from the front door to the car or around the supermarket and I set myself the goal of walking one long walk each week for this year.  It has been my most successful goal.   I completed a walk every week for 52 weeks and a few extra ones!!! If you haven't already, you can see a photograph from each week here and here.

from Walk 50 of 52.  Newgale Beach, Pembrokeshire

If you're interested in my goals for 2013, please come back tomorrow.

In the meantime I wish you a very Happy New Year.